SOURCE: AFI
In a significant boost to India’s indigenous defense manufacturing capabilities, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has introduced a game-changing robotic drilling machine that has dramatically accelerated the production of wings for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas program. Partnering with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), L&T has reduced the time required to drill each hole in the wings from 25–35 minutes to just one minute, enhancing efficiency and supporting the accelerated production of the LCA-Tejas Mk1A variant.
Each wing of the LCA-Tejas requires approximately 8,000 holes to be drilled for assembly, fastening, and integration with other airframe components. Traditionally, these holes were drilled manually—a painstaking process that took between 25 and 35 minutes per hole, depending on the material, location, and tolerances required. For a single aircraft, this translated into thousands of hours of labor, creating a bottleneck in HAL’s production timeline as it sought to ramp up delivery rates to meet IAF requirements.
L&T, a leading Indian engineering and manufacturing conglomerate, has been a key supplier of wings for the LCA-Tejas program, providing both wings for the Mk1A variant. Recognizing the inefficiencies of manual drilling, L&T invested in advanced automation technology to streamline the process. The introduction of a robotic drilling machine has proven to be a game-changer, reducing the time per hole to just one minute—a staggering improvement of over 95% compared to manual methods.
The robotic drilling machine leverages precision automation to ensure consistent accuracy, repeatability, and quality, which are critical for aerospace applications. It is equipped with advanced sensors and control systems that adjust drilling parameters in real-time, accommodating variations in material thickness and composition. This not only speeds up the process but also minimizes errors, rework, and material wastage, ensuring that the wings meet the stringent standards required for combat aircraft.
Of the 8,000 holes required per aircraft wing set, approximately 66%—or around 5,280 holes—are now drilled using the robotic machine. The remaining holes, likely in areas requiring specialized techniques or manual oversight, continue to be drilled by hand. Even with this split, the automation of two-thirds of the drilling process has significantly reduced the overall time required for wing production.
To put this in perspective, manual drilling of 5,280 holes at an average of 30 minutes per hole would take approximately 158,400 minutes (or 2,640 hours). With the robotic machine, the same number of holes can be drilled in just 5,280 minutes (or 88 hours)—a time saving of over 2,500 hours per aircraft wing set. This efficiency gain allows HAL to produce wings faster, helping it meet its target of delivering 16–18 LCA-Tejas Mk1A jets annually to the IAF.
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